Miner tables $500m Hunter extension

The Hunter Valley's mining boom is continuing, with resource giant Coal and Allied proposing a $500 million extension at a mine near Singleton.

The plan targets coal deposits at the company's Warkworth mine that were previously thought to be uneconomical.

That has since changed because of increased prices driven by global demand for coal.

A preliminary environmental assessment says mining of the two existing pits at Warkworth would continue in a westerly direction, taking in about 1,300 hectares of land including 700 hectares outside the currently approved mining area.

The project will require capital expenditure of $500 to $600 million, which includes a new and enlarged fleet of mining equipment.

Coal and Allied says the expansion could create up to 150 new jobs.

The company will outline its plans at a series of community meetings next week.